Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the Amway Center in Orlando

This month we went to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra in Orlando. We considered how long to pay for parking - 1 hour? 1 and 1/2 hours? when we discovered that TSO shows usually run 2 1/2 hours! Fortunately we found good parking for $10 for the night, within easy walking distance of not only the show but also the street where, during our last visit to the Amway Center, we discovered several restaurants. We stopped at Hamburger Mary's, thinking that it might be the quickest. It wasn't, but it was good enough that we will defiantly be back when we have more time! This time we scarfed our burgers and fries, then walked the couple of blocks to the show. We could have taken our time - started 15 minutes late (that seems to be the norm here). There was no opening act, which was a good thing, considering the length of the show. 

The show opened with a bang of loud, enthusiastic, rock guitar music. There was a "narrator" (Phillip Brandon) who started the show by telling a sort of of Christmas story, situated in an Old City Bar, about God sending his youngest angel to earth to bring back "the one thing that best represents everything good that has been done in the name of this day.”  The angels' journey and observations take up most of the show, with short narrations to continue the story interspersed between amazing musical numbers. TSO has some of the best quitarists ever, and powerful singers. And their light show is stunning!

Sometimes it's almost hard to watch the stage, when they throw on the big white lights!

Near the end of the show there was an incredible number called "Old City Bar" (by Robin Borneman), which wrapped up the narrative. It wasn't a grand, showy number like many of the others; it was just one man standing on the stage, without any of the blinding lights and electric guitars that illuminated most of the other songs. But it was easily the best song, based on it's lyrics and his soulful delivery. 

After the main show completed, the musicians came back out for more musical numbers that were not directly related to the narrative. The first one was a really hard-rock number that I could have done without, but the rest of them were wonderful. This is such a talented group of people!